American Trenchless Team Saves Busy Chicago Restaurant Thousands on Pipe Misalignment Repair

Location: Komorebi Sushi • North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago 

Problem: A severe joint offset under the city sidewalk was causing repeated sewage backups and a shutdown risk.

Solution: Trenchless realignment + full-length CIPP liner from building to city main — no sidewalk excavation. 

The Misaligned Pipe Repair Problem in Chicago

Komorebi Sushi, a very popular restaurant located on N. Milwaukee Ave in Chicago, was dealing with a serious and urgent sewer issue. A major pipe joint misalignment (approximately 50%) was located about 10 feet deep beneath the city sidewalk, directly in front of their main entrance. The restriction caused frequent sewage backups, putting the restaurant at risk of an immediate shutdown.

Complicating matters, the restaurant sits on a busy corner with traffic control devices, city utilities, and other underground infrastructure packed tightly into the sidewalk area. A traditional open-cut excavation would have required tearing up the city sidewalk, blocking the front door, managing traffic control, and navigating numerous utilities — all at an extremely high cost.

Why excavation was a problem:

• Busy corner with traffic control devices
• Dense city utilities and underground infrastructure
• Sidewalk removal would block the front entrance
• Traffic control + restoration adds major cost

The Misaligned Pipe Repair Solution

The property manager contacted American Trenchless
Technologies. Mark Carpenter and his team evaluated the situation and
found the ideal solution: Trenchless Pipe Misalignment Repair.

Instead of excavating the city sidewalk, the crew accessed
the sewer line from a small excavation inside the basement
at the front foundation wall. Using specialized trenchless
tools, the team precisely re-aligned the offset joint,
restored proper flow, and eliminated the cause of repeated
backups. To complete a permanent repair, the entire sewer
line was relined from inside the building all the way to the
city main sewer connection with a full-length Cured-in-Place

The Result

The entire sewer line was relined from inside the building all the way to the city main
sewer connection, delivering a permanent, full-length structural repair — without digging
up the sidewalk, blocking the entrance, or disrupting traffic, neighbors, or nearby
businesses.

American Trenchless Technologies saved the restaurant from closure and delivered a long-
term solution with minimal impact on the neighborhood.

When sewer problems threaten your business, disruption isn’t your only option. Call American Trenchless Technologies — you’ll be glad you did.